Tag : Rhode Island

Laptew Chronicles
Rhode Island’s Web of Life

Part 1

River Otter

River otters can live 10 to 20 years. These three and half to four foot long mammals depend on clean water and a healthy supply of fish, frogs, snakes, mice, birds, crayfish and mussels.

The river otter is a long, sleek, muscular animal

When otters dive their ears and nose close

River otters digest and metabolize food so quickly that food passes through their intestines within an hour.

The web feet and slim profile allow otters to fly through the water

Click to enlarge any of these images

Snowy Egret

The snowy egret stalks the marshes, coves and rivers for small bait fish such as mummichog, spearing, sand eel or sand lance

Snowy egret charges a school of mummichogs

The egret strikes with lightning speed

The snowy seizes the mummi behind the gills

A good squeeze and a shake and the mummi is about to be eaten

Snowy egret gulps down a fat little mummichog

Muskrat

These semi-aquatic rodents feed primarily on aquatic plants and they can be found in slow-moving-streams, coastal and freshwater marshes, lakes, ponds and swamps.

A muskrat swims toward the shoreline

With a mouthful of weeds the muskrat heads for its den

They are prodigious and can produce up to 3 litters per year, each with 6 to 7 young. Breeding takes place from late March through July.

Osprey – The Fish Hawk

When the ospreys return to Rhode Island they start tidying up their nests with sticks and grass. Osprey mate for life and return to the same nest year after year.

Osprey building nest with marsh grass and twigs

A full load of nesting material

Osprey grasps herring in its talons

River Herring

Alewives and blueback herring have an enormous impact on the environment and they are a vital component to the food chain.

A group of volunteers help the Rhode Island Dept. of Fish of Wildlife scoop out and transport herring to an aerated truck. These herring will be transferred to the Pawcatuck watershed where they will fortify 1300 acres and 8 stream miles.

These resilient animals can live over 20 years in our ponds and lakes before heading back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die

This pair of fish-hawks mate high above the Narrow River, also known as the Pettaquamscutt River. After mating, the male osprey scoured the area looking for suitable nesting material. I hope he finds enough river herring to support his future nestlings.

Will the Longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) spawn early?

I’ll be diving this week to see if I can find the first wave of squid to invade Narragansett Bay for the 2012 squid spawn.

profile picture of a longfin squid

Last year was a mad rush for these valuable eatables, with draggers from all over—some of staggering proportions and horsepower—pummeling the south shore beaches relentlessly, April into July.

Why?

two extremely different colored squid

Squid landings amounted to six times the volume of lobster that crossed the Ocean State docks last season, but both generated roughly the same revenue: $12.4 million.

pink and pearl colored squid

By some estimates, Rhode Island’s commercial fleet produces the largest volume of domestic squid landings on the Eastern Seaboard (some would suggest that Cape May, NJ comes close). Pretty impressive for what once was an underutilized resource (a kiss-of-death designation that generally transitions—at a breakneck clip—to “fully exploited” and soon thereafter to “crashed” or “collapsed”).

squid blows jet of water into the sand

squid eating blueback herring

squid lined up in a row

macro shot of a squid eye

Point Judith is now the Loligo squid capital of the Eastern Seaboard—its product regarded as among the world’s finest, and in constant high demand, particularly in southern European and Asian markets.

For what it’s worth, the old exit sign off Route 1 to Galilee once designated the port the“Tuna Capital of the World.”

Galilee was home to the Atlantic Tuna Tournament and even Frank Mundus would weigh in a fish or two.

Magnolia Blossoms in Wickford, Rhode Island At the tail end of the unseasonably warm weather I caught the blossoms at peak and just before the cold snap last night. The forsythias are fully flowered — this photo was taken March 24 — that’s early! Let’s not forget the daffodils.

Snow forecasted for this afternoon. I wonder where these river herring are right now? I will project that the first river herring will be seen the second week of March at Gilbert Stuarts birthplace and museum.

When will the river herring return to Bissel Cove this year? This photo was taken during an early morning outing last fall. This area has a very steady flow of water and it didn’t freeze up very much this past winter. The big question is when will the herring first show up this year? How [...]